This Is the Life
by StepInTime
Summary: Hannah Montana is spending the summer touring in Europe, and Lilly and Oliver get to come along! They're all set for an easy, uncomplicated vacation. But as they travel to romantic cities like Paris and Rome, who starts to fall for whom? Rating may change
1. Purple Cake and Glitter

**A/N: Hello, dear reader! I've only recently started watching Hannah Montana, but I became an instant fan and immediately saw great fan fiction potential! I've been writing various fan fics for years, but this is the first story that I felt was good enough to post online. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana or any of the characters in this chapter. I own a jar of Vaseline, but not the rights to the product. **

_**Chapter 1: Purple Cake and Glitter**_

"It didn't just walk off by itself!" Miley Stewart exclaimed. Exasperated, she rifled through the medicine cabinet, but to no avail. Poking her head out of the bathroom, she shouted, "Dad, where did the Vaseline go?"

"It's out here," he called back.

_What the heck is the Vaseline doing there?_ Miley wondered as she walked down the hall to the kitchen.

"It's right there on the counter," her dad said, gesturing with the spatula in his hand. As usual, Robbie Ray was cooking something. This time it was a patriotic angel's food cake in honor of the Fourth of July. "Jackson left it there this morning, muttering something about being a lousy substitute for shampoo."

"Shampoo?" Miley asked incredulously. "What in the world was he thinking?"

"Bud, it's your brother. You ought to know by now that answers to questions like that are never pretty."

"Too true," Miley sighed. Shaking her head, she picked up the small plastic jar and took it back to the bathroom. She streaked a little bit of the petroleum jelly across each cheek; then she wiped off her fingers and dipped them in a mixture of red, silver, and blue glitter, which she spread over the Vaseline.

Out in the kitchen, the phone rang. Robbie answered it, and hung up seconds later, hollering, "Lilly landing in five…four…"

Miley entered just in time to witness her best friend Lilly come rolling in on a skateboard. Miley quickly jumped out of Lilly's path, nearly spilling the glitter she was carrying. After living in Malibu for nearly three years, Lilly's dramatic entrances had become part of daily life in the Stewart household.

Lilly hopped off the skateboard and took a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Hi, Mr. Stewart! What's cooking?"

"A Fourth of July original!" he said, doing a Vanna White impression to show off his finished product.

"Just wondering, Dad," Miley said hesitantly, "but why is it purple?"

"Well, the red food coloring and the blue food coloring sort of ran together. I was kind of hoping no one would notice." He smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry; purple cakes are the norm here in Malibu! It will blend right in," Lilly fibbed, trying to be helpful.

Just then, Miley and Lilly's other best friend, Oliver, strolled through the open door. "Hi guys," he said. "Whoa! A purple cake!"

The girls burst out laughing, and Robbie scratched his head. "Maybe I'll just try for red and blue ice cream," he mused.

As Miley and Lilly calmed down, Oliver wondered, "What did I say?"

"Nothing," Lilly said, catching her breath.

"You just have impeccable timing," Miley informed him, swiping Vaseline and glitter on Lilly's cheeks.

Oliver grinned. "Why, thank you. It comes naturally to Smokin' Oken, just like my good looks, wit, sense of style…"

Lilly eyed his red and white striped polo shirt and denim shorts. "For someone who thinks so highly of his style, you look an awful lot like _Where's Waldo_," she laughed.

Miley picked up the container of glitter. "Let's give him a little more…sparkle!" she said mischievously.

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no you don't!" he exclaimed, stepping backwards and crossing his pointer fingers into an X, as if to ward off miniscule, demonic pieces of colored foil.

Lilly and Miley advanced, and Robbie could see that the situation was bound to end badly, at least for his kitchen. "New rule: All glitter fights must take place outside!" he decreed, and sighed with relief as the three kids raced out the back door. "Best of luck, Oliver!" he hollered after them; then he turned back to the purple cake. "How do I fix you?" he wondered.

**- - - - -**

"Look at me; I'm like a walking disco ball!" Oliver complained, frantically brushing glitter off his face, shirt, and arms. "Whenever I move, I can see the sparkles!"

"Poor baby," Miley said sarcastically. "Are you afraid of a little glitter?" She and Lilly were thoroughly coated as well, having backed off only after the container got knocked out of Miley's hand and its contents scattered everywhere.

"Accept your sparkly fate, Oliver," Lilly suggested. "We're not going to be able to scrape any more of this off than we already have. Now come on; I want to get to the beach!"

"Fine," he sighed. "But this is all you guys' fault!"

Miley grinned. "We know." She and Lilly each grabbed one of Oliver's arms and dragged him down the road in the direction of the shore.

When the three friends arrived, they had to weave their way through huge crowds of people. In addition to being a holiday, it was a sweltering afternoon, and the beach was the most popular place to be. Miley, Oliver, and Lilly immediately headed to Rico's, where they knew Miley's older brother Jackson would be working.

As they approached the small, cabana-style building, they could see someone dressed in an elaborate Uncle Sam costume, looking profoundly out of place among the surfboards and palm trees.

"I'm sure glad I'm not wearing that," Oliver said, pointing at the patriotic figure, which was currently facing away from them. "That would be way worse than being all glittery!"

"You'd have to be absolutely nuts to wear that in this heat," Lilly added.

Miley nodded. "Even my brother is smarter than that!"

Upon hearing Miley's voice, the Uncle Sam whirled around. "Smarter than what?" he demanded. It was Jackson.

The irony was perfect. The three friends tried desperately to not burst into laughter.

"Jackson," Miley said, struggling to maintain her composure, "you look ridiculous. Why on God's green earth are you wearing that?"

The older boy rolled his eyes. "Another one of that thirteen-year-old monkey's brilliant ideas to humiliate me," he said, pointing to the sign hanging around his neck. It read, "I want YOU to eat at Rico's!"

"At least you only have two more days here," Miley reminded him.

"Then we're off to Europe!" Lilly squealed.

Jackson grinned cockily and nodded. "And all the European chicks can finally have what they've been waiting for!"

Miley smacked him. "You're so shallow, Jackson!"

Oliver snorted cynically. "Trust me, I'll be the one the girls will be after. I may look like Waldo, but at least I don't have a bushy white beard and a red, white, and blue top hat!"

Jackson looked the younger boy up and down. "But you're covered in glitter," he pointed out.

"That's not his fault," Lilly piped up. "And between glitter and a beard, I'd choose the glitter. A beard would get in the way of kissing." She paused, and everyone raised their eyebrows in surprise. "Not that I'd want to kiss Jackson or Oliver!" she clarified hastily. "No offense, guys; I love you, but…ew!"

"I agree," Miley said. Then she turned to her brother. "Now, Uncle Sam, how about some frozen lemonades?"

**A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter was a little slow. The conflict really begins in the next installment. Thanks for reading! Please review; I can't wait to hear what you think!**

**StepInTime**


	2. Fireworks

**A/N: Hello again. I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up, but I've been having some really weird computer problems. Also, my grandfather has been in the hospital for the last week or so, and he passed away this morning. Needless to say, it has been rather chaotic around my house lately, and I can't tell you when I'll be able to upload chapter 3. But I promise I'll try very hard to do it quickly!**

**Anyways, thanks to everybody that reviewed! And the disclaimer for chapter 1 applies to the whole story, because I'm too lazy to keep typing it.**

**_Chapter 2: Fireworks_**

Lilly, Oliver, and Miley spent the rest of the afternoon teasing Jackson, wandering up and down the beach, and talking about how excited they were for the trip.

As the sun began to set, small clusters began to form as people claimed their spots to see the fireworks. The three friends staked out a place next to a small outcropping of rocks. They were soon joined by Jackson, who had clocked out at Rico's and was now wearing normal clothes, Robby Ray, who brought his still-purple cake, and Oliver's and Lilly's parents, who brought matches, a candle, and several boxes of sparklers.

Once the cake had been consumed, the adults sat around and talked about flights, itineraries, and countless details about Europe, while the teenagers broke open the sparklers.

"Stay clear of my brother," Miley warned her friends as she lit the candle and anchored it in the sand. "He's a bit of a pyromaniac."

"I am not!" Jackson protested vehemently, thrusting the first sparkler into the flame.

Upon hearing the metal wire coated in a strong chemical compound catch fire, Robby looked over and called, " Be careful, son. Remember Independence Day of '97!"

"I know, Dad! I'm not stupid!" Jackson hollered back.

"What happened in '97?" Oliver asked nervously.

Miley grimaced. "Let's just say Jackson got a little overzealous with the sparklers. The cat's fur smelled funny for about a week."

Lilly shuddered as she lit her own sparkler. "I don't even want to think about it!"

The pyrotechnics were used up quickly. They cracked and fizzed as the kids spun in circles, waving them and drawing pictures and writing messages in the air.

As the last sparklers burnt out, a brilliant gold firework lit up the sky, letting people know that the show was about to begin, so they needed to find their seats. The three best friends settled onto a large rock. Jackson joined them.

Miley was nearly bursting with anticipation. She turned to Oliver and said, "I'm so excited! Fireworks are my favorite thing in the whole world!"

"Me too," he agreed. "Hey, Miles, hold still a second."

She obeyed, wondering what he wanted. Placing a hand gently on her chin to steady it, Oliver gently brushed something off Miley's nose. "Glitter," he explained, holding up his finger to prove it.

"Thanks," she said with a smile, wondering why his touch sent shivers down her spine in the July heat.

She did not have long to dwell on the question, however, because fireworks suddenly filled the sky. Miley leaned back on her hands and sighed, quite content to be enjoying her favorite holiday with her family and her best friends.

**- - - - -**

"Wow!" Lilly, Oliver, and Miley whispered simultaneously as the grand finale of the fireworks show ended.

For a moment, the beach was totally silent, except for the gentle crashing of the waves. Then the audience burst into cheers and applause.

"We might as well wait here for a bit and let everyone else get out of the way," Robby Ray suggested as throngs of people gathered up their coolers, towels, and small children and made their way up the shore.

That idea was fine with the kids, who were currently very comfortable. During the fireworks, they had shifted so their arms were around each other, and Miley and Lilly were resting their heads on Oliver's shoulders.

Oliver took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. "This is what holidays are all about," he said.

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked.

He smiled shyly, not very used to talking about his feelings with the girls, even though they were his closest friends. "I was just thinking how great it is to be sitting here on the beach, with fireworks and my best friends. I'm not sure life can get much better than this." He paused. "Sorry if that was really cheesy."

Miley shook her head. "No, Oliver, that's exactly what I was just thinking."

"This is the life," Lilly agreed. "Just like the Hannah Montana song."

"Come on, guys. Let's go," Mrs. Oken called. "The worst of the crowd is gone."

The kids hopped off the rock and followed their parents up the beach.

"Hey, Oliver," Jackson said, "can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Oliver replied. "What's up?" He let the girls go ahead of him and walked with Jackson.

"How do you do it, man?" Jackson asked incredulously. "You had two fine girls tonight!"

Oliver grinned. "Well, they don't call me 'Smokin' Oken' for nothing," he said jokingly. "Really, though, it was just Lilly and Miley. They're great girls, and they mean the world to me, but we're just friends."

"Right," Jackson said skeptically.

"No, really!" Oliver insisted. "There's nothing going on between any of us. I honestly don't like anyone right now. Miley and Lilly just helped me get over a really bad crush."

"Okay, man. Whatever."

Oliver didn't bother to argue anymore. He had talked about his feelings enough for one night.

Ahead of the boys, Miley and Lilly walked in silence.

Miley could still feel Oliver's hands touching her face. _It's just Oliver_, she admonished herself. _Get over it!_ Maybe she had just spent too much time around him lately. That had to be it. Why else would she be unable to push his goofy grin out of her mind's eye?

Lilly had similar things on her mind. _"I was just thinking how great it is to be sitting here on the beach, with fireworks and my best friends."_ She remembered how happy and secure she had felt with Oliver's arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder. _Miley and Oliver are the best friends a girl could ask for_, Lilly thought. _But I wonder if he could ever think of me as more than a friend?_

Suddenly, both girls said each other's names at the same time. They giggled self-consciously.

"You go ahead, Lilly," Miley offered.

Lilly hesitated. "Never mind. What did you want?"

"Mine wasn't important either," Miley said quickly, and they settled back into a strange silence. It wasn't exactly awkward, but it didn't feel right.

The sidewalk rescued them. They had reached the point in the walk home that required the Okens, the Truscotts, and the Stewarts to go in three separate directions.

Everyone waited on the corner for Jackson and Oliver to catch up. Miley and Lilly hugged Oliver and then each other, and everybody said goodnight. Then they headed for home.

**In case you can't tell, I love the Fourth of July, and fireworks in general. Please leave me some reviews; I love them too!**

** StepInTime**


	3. Bon Voyage

**A/N: Thank you soooo much for all your patience with this story and me! I have had a million things to do, and I'm really not supposed to be on the Internet right now, but I decided I had to update at least once more before school starts. Also, thanks for all the reviews I've received! They honestly make my day.**

_**Chapter 3: Bon Voyage**_

The morning of July seventh dawned bright and clear, but Miley, Jackson, Lilly, Oliver, Robby Ray, and Roxy, Miley's bodyguard, were unaware. As the sun rose, they were stuck in the seemingly endless airport security line. The teenagers were seriously struggling to stay awake, and Robby was yawning frequently. Only Roxy was alert and upbeat. She was thrilled to see the latest security equipment in action.

"Ooh, look at that fancy gadget!" she exclaimed loudly.

Lilly turned to Miley and rolled her eyes blearily. "Does Roxy _have_ to fly with us? You're not in Hannah mode."

Miley shrugged. "The record company wanted to charter a private jet, but they really didn't want you and Oliver to be on it. They finally agreed to let Daddy and me fly commercially, but I had to promise to travel 'in disguise,' and Roxy had to come with us."

"It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't so darn loud," Jackson yawned.

"Yeah. It's not easy to sleep standing up," Oliver complained as Roxy began jumping up and down, drawing perturbed looks from many other travelers.

"Ooooh, Anita! Over here, girl!" Roxy shouted, waving frantically.

"Jumpin' Jehosephat! Can't you keep it down?" Robby pleaded.

"ROXY!" someone squealed. A petite lady with blonde hair and a pointy face was running toward them. She was wearing a TSA uniform. She skidded to a stop in front of the exhausted group.

"I've got my _eyes_ on you!" Roxy and the lady cried in unison, doing the infamous "two-finger point-and-scan."

"Girl, it has been so long!" Roxy laughed, pulling her friend into a big bear hug.

"Um, Roxy," Robby said hesitantly, "I hate to interrupt, but _what is going on_?"

"This is Anita Carmichael. We trained together at the bodyguard academy," Roxy explained. She turned to Anita. "It's been, what? Five years?"

Anita shook her head. "No, it's gotta be eight. The last time we saw each other…"

"That's right," Roxy interrupted. "Frankie was…"

Anita nodded. "And the Chief still…"

"…and Louise hadn't…Okay, now I remember!" Roxy declared.

"Those were some good times," Anita said. "But where are my manners? Follow me, all of you. Roxy's friends never wait!" She led the group to the front of the line, where they were whisked through all the security procedures.

"Hold on!" shouted the person they cut in front of. He was a rather ominous-looking gentleman, about six and a half feet tall, with a shaved head and a shirt that said "Amateur Heavyweight Club."

"You can't just jump in front of all these people!" He advanced menacingly.

Roxy looked the man squarely in the eye and literally growled. He immediately stepped back into the line, looking very frightened. "That's what I thought. It's Roxy Time, and I've got my _eyes_ on you!" Then she turned and followed Miley and the others toward their terminal.

**- - - - -**

"Come on, Bud. Our plane is boarding," Robby said, shaking his daughter's shoulder. She and Lilly had fallen asleep in the orange vinyl chairs in the waiting area for gate 36B. Miley yawned, stretched, and poked her best friend, who muttered something about green bunnies.

"Come on, Lils," Miley said. "Wake up."

"Why?" Lilly asked, still not entirely with it.

"We've got to get on the plane, you donut," Oliver said, flinging his sweatshirt at her.

"Okay," she yawned, throwing it back at him. "And we've already established that _you_ are the only donut here." She held her arms out in front of her, and Miley and Oliver pulled her to her feet.

The trio picked up their backpacks and followed Robby Ray, Roxy, and Jackson to the door, where an airline employee checked their boarding passes. Then they walked through the jet way and boarded the plane.

Since their seats were near the front of the aircraft, the group had to wait a while for the rest of the passengers to get on. Oliver immediately began amusing himself by playing with the window shade. He moved it up and down and up and down until Miley cried, "Oliver, quit it!"

"Well, _excuse_ me!" he said indignantly. "It's only 6:30 in the morning, and you're already touchy!"

Miley rolled her eyes. "The reason I am touchy," she said very slowly, "is exactly that. It's way too early to be up!"

"Could you guys please not fight?" Lilly asked, holding her head.

Miley surveyed her friend. "Are you okay, Lilly? You look kind of pale."

"I'll be fine," Lilly sighed. "Flying just really freaks me out."

"Do you need some Dramamine?" Miley suggested. "I think Roxy took some earlier."

Oliver pointed to the opposite window seat, where the bodyguard was sound asleep. "It must have worked," he surmised.

Lilly shook her head. "I'll be fine; I promise. I'm not going to barf. I just get really nervous and I get a really bad headache."

"Well, that should work out well," Jackson said sarcastically from across the aisle. "We're spending the next six weeks _flying_ all over Europe."

Lilly glared at him. "I know. I'll deal."

"Just shut up, Jackson," Miley snapped. "She's not stupid."

"I was just pointing it out. Isn't a guy allowed to point things out?" he complained.

"No."

Robby Ray opened his mouth to end the argument, but he was beaten to it.

"I'd like to point out that we're all tired and grouchy, so let's just let the subject drop," Oliver advised.

_That boy _does_ have a brain on his shoulders_, Robby thought with a smile.

Tucking his finger under Miley's chin, Oliver turned her head so she was facing him instead of her brother. "See? All good."

Lilly noticed the gesture out of the corner of her eye, and her stomach suddenly did feel a little queasy. Was she jealous? _No. If you liked Oliver, maybe you'd have a reason to be jealous_, she scolded herself. _But you don't, so there's no reason to get upset_.

She turned away from Miley and Oliver and curled up as well as she could with her safety belt fastened and her seatback in the "upright and locked position." Unfortunately, Lilly was now looking at Jackson. _Oh well_, she sighed, closing her eyes,_ the only thing that will help this headache is more sleep._

The cabin door closed, and the flight attendant moved to the front of the plane for the safety demonstrations. Miley knew she should pay attention, but she had been flying for years. She covertly searched through her purse instead, hoping Oliver wouldn't notice. No such luck.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

She located a piece of gum and held it up. "This." She quickly popped it into her mouth.

"Miles, do you have to?" he whined. He harbored a serious gum-chewing aversion.

"I'm sorry. I have to chew gum when we take off, or my ears will pop. I promise I'll spit it out as soon as the cabin pressure equalizes."

Oliver heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Okay. I'll just sit here and suffer."

"You baby," Miley laughed. "I have no sympathy for you. No one ever died from their best friend chewing gum!" She did feel slightly sorry for him, though, and she chewed as surreptitiously as possible.

"Well, don't we think highly of ourselves! Who says you're my best friend?"

Miley knew he was joking, but she feigned shock and disappointment. "You mean I'm not?"

"I'm just kidding! Of course you are!" Oliver said hastily. "You and Lilly both," he added as an afterthought.

At his last words, Miley's heart sank inexplicably. _Lilly's asleep, Oliver!_ she thought. _Don't worry about her right now._ Immediately, Miley felt bad. Where had that come from? She, Lilly, and Oliver had always been an inseparable trio. That didn't have to change because she had a crush on Oliver. _Wait! What?_

"Miles? Are you okay?" Oliver asked.

"What?" she said, trying to come to terms with her epiphany.

"You looked really worried about something." He touched her hand gently. "Are you all right?"

At the contact, Miley's face softened into a genuine smile. "I'm great. I just figured something out."

"What?" Oliver wondered.

"This is going to be the best trip ever. Now, let's get this plane off the ground!"

**So…Moliver or Loliver? Leave me your guesses, if you feel so inclined. I promise to update as soon as I possibly can! Thanks for reading!**

**StepInTime**


	4. Complications

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter has taken me so long! I'm back in school now, and I don't have any classes that give me large amounts of free time this year, so it's hard to find time to work on stories. And I really wish Oliver went to my school, because my locker is impossible to open! Anyways, I'm pretty proud of this chapter, and I hope you like it too. Enjoy!**

**Additional disclaimer: I do not own "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "I Am Not Dead Yet," "The Song That Goes Like This," or _Monty Python's Spamalot_, even though I wish I did. I saw it this summer on Broadway!**

_**Chapter 4: Complications**_

"Look!" Lilly cried, pointing to a sign overhead. "It says 'lift,' not 'elevator!'"

Robby Ray laughed. "Welcome to England, Lilly. Just wait till you order a lemonade somewhere."

"What's wrong with English lemonade?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing," Miley told them. "It's just that you'll get Sprite."

"Well, that's silly," Lilly decided. "We're in England. Why don't they use regular English words?"

"They would probably ask you the same question. In Britain, 'fries' are 'chips,' 'chips' are 'crisps,' 'trucks' are 'lorries,' 'trunks' are 'boots,' and 'apartments' are 'flats,'" Robby explained.

"But 'baggage claim' and 'customs' mean the same thing, right?" Jackson asked, indicating a sign that directed them down a long escalator.

"Yep," his father said, leading the way. "Miles, keep an eye on Roxy!"

Miley grabbed her bodyguard's arm and dragged her onto the moving stairway. Roxy was still drowsy from the Dramamine and was not paying attention to where she was going.

"She's an ex-Marine and an internationally known bodyguard, but she has to be heavily medicated for commercial airline flights," Oliver noted, shaking his head.

"Roxy's way worse than Lilly," Jackson laughed, and Lilly smacked him indignantly.

"What?" he protested. "It's true!"

Indeed it was. Roxy has spent most of the day in a state of near oblivion, including the three-hour layover at JFK airport in New York.

Stepping off the escalator, the group soon located the baggage carousel for their flight. It was one of the few in operation, because, though it was only seven P.M. in Malibu, it was four in the morning in London.

Before long a loud buzzer sounded, the luggage appeared, and the Californians collected all of their belongings. Because of the two-bags-per-person limit, Miley's plain, green suitcase had been checked under Lilly's name, since Hannah Montana required two large, bright purple suitcases of her own.

As they made their way to customs, Oliver noticed that Lilly was having a bit of trouble maneuvering the two bags, and he offered to help. Independent to a fault, Lilly said, "No thanks." She was determined to show Smokin' Oken that she could handle it alone.

"Suit yourself," Oliver shrugged and turned to Miley, who was expertly wheeling Hannah's two suitcases along. "Do you want me to take one of those for you?" he asked.

She smiled gratefully and shrugged. "If you want to," she said.

He nodded, and they transferred the bag smoothly, without even slowing their pace.

_Well, aren't they special?_ Lilly thought sarcastically, stumbling as she stepped on her own shoelace and banged the suitcases together.

"You okay, Lils?" Oliver asked.

"I'm fine!" she snapped.

Miley and Oliver looked at each other, surprised at Lilly's reaction, but they silently decided not to press the issue. Miley made a mental note to talk to her later.

"Well, here we are, guys," Robby Ray said, leading them to the only open customs station. The line was extremely long, despite the early hour.

"We're gonna be here forever!" Oliver complained.

"Don't worry, Oken. Look on the bright side!" Jackson suggested.

"Jackson. If I were at home, I would be eating right now. Instead, I'm at Heathrow International Airport, where it's four in the morning, and I get to stand in line for an hour or so," Oliver informed him. "Where's the bright side?"

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know. I was just trying to help."

Miley grinned. "Just look on the bright side of life!" she sang, and she whistled the tune of Monty Python's famous song.

"Shut up, Miley," Lilly protested, but she failed to stifle a small smile. Since starting high school, the trio had become very involved in the drama club, a natural side effect of which was becoming addicted to show tunes. One of their current favorite musicals was _Spamalot_.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I agree. You keep singing, Miles, and you die."

Without even a glance between them, Lilly, Oliver, and Miley simultaneously cried, "I am not dead yet! I can dance and I can sing! I am not dead yet! I can do the Highland Fling!"

"Great," Jackson sighed, covering his face with his hands. "This is gonna be a _long_ trip!"

**- - - - -**

The kids kept themselves entertained with their songs until Roxy's squealing interrupted them. She had run into another bodyguard-turned-TSA employee friend, and they reminisced about the old times until the Stewarts and friends reached the customs desk. They passed through quickly, and they were soon piling into the shuttle bus that ran from the airport to their hotel.

The day had been very long and exhausting, and the whole group was rather slaphappy on the hour-and-fifteen-minute drive, especially Miley, Oliver, and Lilly, who were crammed into the back seat. Upon arriving at the hotel, however, everyone's energy seemed to plummet.

Miley and Lilly were yawning uncontrollably as they settled into their room. As she unzipped her plain, green suitcase and pulled out her pajamas, Miley remembered to ask her friend about the brief incident at the airport.

"Hey, Lilly, why didn't you let Oliver help you with the suitcases?"

Lilly somehow yawned and sighed at the same time, wondering how to answer. _Sometimes I get a little tired of you being so perfect all the time. You never need help on anything. I just wanted Oliver to notice me doing something on my own_, she wanted to say. Instead, though, she shrugged and lied, "I don't know. I just didn't want to."

"Okay," Miley said. She was well aware that Lilly was hiding something, but she was too tired to investigate more. "If you ever need to talk, I'm great at listening."

"I know," Lilly sighed, trying to hide the exasperation in her voice. _One more thing she can do_…It was true, however, and for a moment, Lilly seriously considered telling her best girl friend about her crush on their best guy friend. Then she changed her mind, though she wasn't quite sure why.

As the girls crawled into their beds, Miley was still thinking about Oliver. She had enjoyed being jammed next to him in the back seat of the hotel van, and he had been very sweet to offer to help the girls with their luggage.

"Oliver is such a nice guy," she mused aloud.

"Where did that come from?" Lilly asked suspiciously.

Miley tucked a hand under her pillow and rolled over to face her best friend. She smiled a little embarrassedly as she said, "Lilly, I have a confession." She paused dramatically. "I like Oliver!"

Lilly suddenly felt like her heart and her stomach had collided with each other going fifty miles an hour, but her acting skills kicked into gear, and her expression stayed normal. "I like Oliver too, and I like oatmeal cream pies, but I would hardly call that a confession."

"No, Lilly, you donut, I _like him_ like him!" Miley laughed. "As in, I can't stop thinking about him, no matter what I do. If I close my eyes, I can see his smile, and I still hear him singing "The Song That Goes Like This" in that silly King Arthur voice. We had so much fun on the plane while you were asleep!"

"Oh," Lilly said softly, biting her lip.

"I can't believe I actually said it out loud," Miley continued. "I like Oliver Oscar Oken, the boy who's been my best friend since eighth grade!" She hesitated and then asked, "Is that really weird?"

Lilly reached over and turned out the light so Miley wouldn't see the tears she could no longer hold back. "No," she whispered. "That's not weird at all."

**A/N: I'm a huge theater geek, in case you couldn't tell. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'd be glad to get some more!**


	5. Morning and Knight

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm really sorry it takes me so long to update these days, but between school, church, dance, band, and play practice, my schedule is totally full! I promise to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. (Reviews are really good incentives to write more!) Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 5: Morning and Knight**_

_Whump!_ Lilly awoke suddenly, but she didn't open her eyes. She knew she had been hit in the face by Miley's pillow, which was how she typically woke up after a sleepover.

"Go 'way, Miley," she moaned. "I'm still tired, and I had this really weird dream where you said you liked Oliver, and I was like -"

"I did say that, you donut," Miley laughed. "We're at a hotel in London, and it's 10 A.M. here, but it's 1 A.M. at home. That's why you're so tired."

Lilly opened one eye and demanded, "Then why are we getting up?"

"My dad says we have to get used to the time difference. Anyways, I have a sound check at three."

"Fine," Lilly yawned, rolling onto her back and stretching. "But I don't have to be happy about it."

Miley grinned. "That's the spirit, Lils!"

While Miley was in the shower, Lilly laid out her clothes for the day. She decided that on her first day in Britain, she had to wear her red tank top with the Union Jack on the front. _I'll pair it with denim shorts and red flip flops, and I'll wear my hair in pigtails_, she thought, remembering with a smile how Oliver always pulled her pigtails when he sat behind her in fourth grade.

Then she recalled Miley's confession from the night before. _She's my best friend. I can't get in the way_, Lilly decided sadly. _I guess I'll just wear my hair down_.

Before long, Miley was done in the bathroom and Lilly took a quick shower. Then she dressed and dried her hair, combing it out straight.

As they were preparing to walk out the door, Miley looked at Lilly and said, "You know what? Your hair would look really cute in pigtails."

"Really?"

Miley nodded. "Yeah. Want me to do them for you?"

"Sure," Lilly said, shrugging and thinking,_ She offered. If anything happens, I'm not responsible. Not that anything is going to happen anyways._

- - - - -

"Hi, guys," Miley said as she and Lilly approached the table where Oliver, Jackson, and Robby Ray were sitting.

"Mornin', girls," Robby said. The boys didn't even acknowledge their presence.

"Fine, we'll ignore you too," Lilly said indignantly. They still gave no response.

"Don't mind them, Lilly. They're drooling like a cow in a rainstorm, and it ain't about the French toast," Robby eloquently informed her.

The girls followed the boys' gaze and saw a table of a dozen tanned, athletic girls, most wearing t-shirts or warm-ups that said "British Amateur Football Association 18U."

Miley rolled her eyes. "Typical. Come on, Lilly. Let's get some breakfast."

By the time the girls returned with their food, the soccer team had left. As Lilly and Miley took their seats, Oliver asked Jackson, "Did you see the one with curly hair?"

"The blonde or the brunette?"

Oliver grinned. "The brunette. I wouldn't mind having her on the Ollie Trolley!"

"I wouldn't mind the goalie myself," Jackson said.

Oliver looked puzzled. "How did you know which one was the goalie?"

"She had 'GOALIE' printed on the back of her t-shirt," Jackson told him.

Oliver shrugged. Suddenly, he noticed the girls. "Hi! When did you guys get here?"

Lilly gave him an 'are-you-serious' look. "Like, ten minutes ago. Are we having another grilled cheese sandwich day?"

"They don't have grilled cheese on the buffet," Roxy said, sitting down next to Miley, "but they do have baked beans! Mm, mm, my favorite!"

"Why do they have baked beans for breakfast? There were tomatoes and mushrooms up there too," Oliver said.

Robby shrugged. "It's another British thing." He paused. "As soon as y'all finish your breakfasts, we need to head out. I thought we'd see the Tower of London before Miley's sound check this afternoon."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Oliver. "I'm gonna go back to the room and get my camera." He stood up and pushed in his chair.

Jackson stood as well. "I'm getting my camera too. I promised Cooper I'd get lots of pictures of the torture chamber. How they hung people by their thumbs and pulled people apart and-"

"Eww!" Lilly squealed.

Jackson laughed. "Chill, Lilly. I'm just kidding." He flashed her a grin, tugged on one of her pigtails, and followed Oliver to the elevators.

- - - - -

"Well, that's the end of our tour," said the costumed guide. "I want to thank you folks for being a wonderful group. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them, and please feel free to explore the rest of the Tower."

Robby Ray turned to Roxy and the kids. "What do y'all want to do now?"

Lilly and Miley looked at each other and grinned. "Gift shop!"

Robby rolled his eyes. "We've come halfway around the world, you're standing inside a piece of living history, and all you girls want to do is go to the gift shop?"

Lilly shrugged. "Yep."

"We will hit the gift shop," Robby promised, " but let's do something else first."

This time Oliver and Jackson exchanged glances. "Torture chamber!" they exclaimed as the girls groaned.

"Yeah!" shouted Roxy. Then she looked around sheepishly and shrugged. "I only want to learn about the history of my profession."

"Is that okay with everybody?" Robby asked.

"Lilly and Miley might be too scared," Jackson teased.

Lilly glared at him. "No way!"

Miley didn't say anything, but she looked unhappy.

"Are you okay, Miles?" Oliver asked.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I just find that stuff really, really creepy."

"If you don't want to go, I'll stay here with you," he offered kindly.

She shook her head. "No, you want to see it. I'll be fine."

The group started off toward the torture chamber, and Oliver promised, "I'm here for you if you get scared."

Miley smiled. "That's sweet. What are you? My knight in shining armor?"

Oliver grinned, making her stomach flip-flop. "Of course, milady."

**StepInTime**


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